December Delights..

Here's to hoping you had a wonderful and blessed Christmas. We sure did!

Here are my three opening gifts at Grannie and Grandpa's.

The weather held out. While we are snowed in right now, the crazy blizzard held off until the festivities were over.

It was a very Handmade Holiday this year! Gifts for teachers, including handmade soaps, were all handmade and well received.

Some of the sewing I've done can be found below. Well, wait. Firstly, is Little Lady's dress which is seen above but not very well. Let's not talk about how I can't locate my camera the past couple of days. Can't be because the holidays were hectic, could it?

A top made for Little Lady as a back up for her Holiday Concert. Surprise, surprise. She wanted to wear her dress! (a little peer pressure maybe? I'm all for THAT kind!) This is from Ottobre magazine 1/2010.

A top for Little Lady's godsister who isn't much for girly outfits. This was for her Holiday Concert in her Kindergarten. This is my rendition of a top in Ottobre 4/2004. It's made with Chez Ami jersey fabric.

This drawstring bag was for Puppy Feet. He *loves* Legos!

Afraid? LOL Don't be! It's Little Lady's pillow pet made with the guidance of this tutorial. Thank you!

She loved it!

So those are a few of the highlights of our Handmade Holiday 2010. There were also grocery sacks, wool with flax seed handwarmers, and handmade soaps. I made a bamboo velour pillowcase and a double handed oven mitt.  AND I made myself a new top for Christmas. It was a GREAT Handmade Holiday!

May you have a blessed New Year!

Thankful November Summary

Well, if you made it this far-- Congratulations!

The main point I wanted to show is that every. day. we all have many things we can choose to be thankful for. Sure, one can choose to complain and be sour and bitter about what's going on in one's life or one can choose to look at the bright side and find a silver lining, no matter where you are at.

Face it, life is HARD. A lot harder than I ever thought, that's for sure. I reminisce of the days when I had all the freedom (was a young adult, owned a car, could drive, had a job, lived at home, etc). I remember deciding to take off to the beach-- fill up the cooler, pack a towel, maybe a chair and go. Now? To do that, I'd have to make sure no one had to be anywhere that day, make sure I had the groceries, fill the tank with gas, make sure I had money to park and quarters to shower, pack aaaaaaaaaaaalllll the stuff we needed, did I remember sunscreen? and on and on.

Boy, it's a reality check when you are a grown up! LOL

But, for all the skeletons lurking in my closet, for all the creative mail that comes to my house asking for money, and all the other things I care not to share on the net-- I still have 3 blessed children and a hard working husband who loves me. I have family-- the good and the bad-- but I have them. We're warm and fed and God loves and cares for us. It's a good life.

And on that note, today is my mom's birthday. Nine birthdays without her here to celebrate them with. Miss you, Mom. SOO much. <3